Mutagenicity studies with praziquantel, a new anthelmintic drug: tissue-, host-, and urine-mediated mutagenicity assays.

Praziquantel, a new anthelmintic drug with activity against all species of schistosomes pathogenic to man, and against a wide range of Cestodes, was tested for mutagenic potential. For the detection of both base substitutions and frameshift mutations, Salmonella typhimurium TA 100 and TA 98 were used as tester strains. Using the plate assay with and without added S-9, host-mediated assay and urine-mediated assay without and after incubation with beta-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase, no mutagenic activity could be detected.